HRD Defined: Definitions of HRD

(Reproduced from the forthcoming book Future of HRDby T. V. Rao, Macmi an !ndia" A significant source of information on HRD in the US as well as worldwide is available from the Academy of Human Resources Development, USA. For a long time Human Resources development in the US is identified with raining and Development. !t is in the American Society for raining and Development convention some time in early seventies "en #adler of $eorge %ashington University is supposed to have formulated the concept of Human Resources Development. #adler &'()*+ defined HRD as a series of organi,ed activities, conducted within a specified period of time, and designed to produce behavioral change. Some of the common activities he identified within HRD are training, education and development. He identified training as those activities intended to improve performance on the -ob, education as those activities intended to develop competencies not specific to any one -ob, and development is preparation to help the employee move with the organi,ation as it develops. !n a revised definition #adler &'(./+ defined it as organi,ed learning e0periences in a definite time period to increase the possibility of -ob performance and growth. A recent review of the definitions of HRD by 1c"ean and 1c"ean &2**'+ provides a lot of insights into the field. he following are some of the highlights of this article3 %hile there have been many efforts to define HRD, no consensus seem to have emerged he US definition of HRD seems to have influenced the definitions many other countries !t appears that definitions of HRD may vary from one country to another, and the national differences are a crucial factor in determining the way HRD professionals wor4 here appears to be differences in the perception and practice of HRD in local companies as compared 1ultinational companies !n several countries HRD is not distinguished from HR but is seen systematically as a part of HR. 5rofessional organi,ations and academics seem to contribute to the definition of HRD he following is a sample of definitions cited in 1c"ean and 1c"ean &2**'+3 #hina: 6A planned and organi,ed education and learning process provided by organi,ations to improve employees7 4nowledge and s4ills as well as change their -ob attitudes and behaviors. he process helps unleash the employees8 e0pertise for the purpose of enhancing the individual performance and achieving effective organi,ational

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functioning.9 & he :hina raining :enter for senior civil Servants+. 1c"ean observes that in :hina there is no difference between HR, HRD and 5ersonnel. France: HRD covers all practices that contribute to enhance the contribution of people to the organi,ational ob-ectives3 competence development, satisfaction to the human re;uirements of organi,ation development, training, internal career paths etc. he term 7development social7 is often used synonymous with HRD. $ermany% here is no field defined as HRD. 5ersonnel specialists in 1anagement schools do some research. &apan% he concept of HRD can be identified by three terms3 #oryu4u 4athatu &development of individual abilities+< =in,ai 4eisei &formulation of a mastery level of human resources through the wor4 system and training+, and =in,ai i4usei &fostering of development of human resources through management of human resource process. !ndividual development, career development and organi,ation development are the three ma-or components of HRD in =apan. 'orea3 1ost >orean staff treats it as e;uivalent to raining and Development. ?D, :D and @D are included some times. (nited 'ingdom: HRD is relatively a new concept which has yet to become fully established and accepted, whether within professional practice or as a focus of academic in;uiry. >ey elements include3 Activities and processes which are intended to have impact on organi,ational and individual learning< planned interventions in individual and organi,ational learning< interventions that are intended to change organi,ational behavior< strategic, long term, cultural and organi,ational changes. )ingapore: !n Singapore ma-or public agencies describe HRD as the activities related to 4nowledge and s4ills development through organi,ational and community development through education, training and reAtraining, in a life long learning process for improving productivity at the personal, organi,ational and community levels. 1ost popular among the definitions of HRD in the U.S. seems to be the one by 5atricia 1c"ean of AS D, as 6the integrated use of training and development, organi,ation development, and career development to improve individual, group and organi,ational effectiveness. &See %alton, 2**'+. !t is worth noting an observation made by Ruona &2***+ 6As a profession we have not done a very good -ob of wor4ing to identify who we are, what we stand for, and what we can do for those we serve.9 &p.2+. &Buoted by 1c"ean and 1c"ean, p '*C/+ "ee &2***'+ argued that the notion and practice is dynamic, ambiguous and ill determined and hence any attempt to define HRD may do disAservice to the development of those who wish to become HRD professionals. "ee concludes in this paper on 6Refusal to define HRD, 6Dach of us, in our professional lives, and carries some

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responsibility as we contribute to what HRD is becoming. %e need to be aware that to attempt to define HRD is to serve political or social needs of the minuteA to give the appearance of being in control. !nstead ! suggest we see4 to establish, in a moral and inclusive way, what we would li4e HRD to become, in the 4nowledge that it will never be, but that we might influence its becoming" (p1078). Mc*ean and Mc*ean (+,,-" have offered the following g oba definition of HRD after reviewing various definitions across the world3 Human Resource Development is any process or activity that, either initially or over the longer-term, has the potential to develop adults !or" #ased "no!ledge, e$pertise, productivity, and satisfaction, !hether for personal or group%team gain, or for the #enefit of an organi&ation, community, nation, or, ultimately the !hole humanity' (p)*+,-. Strategic HRD puts/0 particu ar empha.i. on the de/e opment of comprehen.i/e, coordinated and dynamic approache. for ma0or earning initiati/e. 1ithin and out.ide an organi2ation in order to faci itate the achie/ement of a .take ho der ob0ecti/e. in a competiti/e and turbu ent en/ironment. It is not helpful given this perspective to think of HR !s subset of HR", either in the structur!l or function!l terms. #s the str!tegic signific!nce of org!ni$!tion!l !n% in%ivi%u!l le!rning !s ! source of competitive !n% cooper!tive !%v!nt!ge g!ins recognition, ! str!tegic nee% !rises for !ppropri!tel& positione% " le!rning !rchitects" 'ith the %istinctive competencies !n% consult!nc& skills to orchestr!te le!rning initi!tives on beh!lf of their clients. (he& nee% to be seen !s p!rtners in the formul!tion of str!teg& !s 'ell !s %evelopers of ")u!lit&" people to %eliver str!teg&" ( *!lton, +001 p. 108+). A similar view is reflected in the HRD Audit approach of Rao &'(((+ and in a recent article suggesting if HRD 1anagers should be retitled as >nowledge 1anagers or :hief "earning ?fficers &Rao, 2***+ &references are available from the boo4+

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